Hino Motors Limited has announced that it has begun trialling a new fuel cell bus in Toyota City to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of the technology in public transport application.

Image credit: Hino

According to Hino, the verification testing in Toyota City is being conducted as part of a public fuel cell bus road trial and emergency external power supply testing scheme, which is being promoted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The new bus – which Hino developed in collaboration with parent company Toyota Corporation – features the Toyota Fuel Cell System from the recently revealed Mirai fuel cell vehicle.

Equipped with eight high-pressure hydrogen tanks, as well as two fuel cell stacks and two motors to provide the required power output, the new Hino-Toyota Fuel Cell Bus showcases some of the additional possibilities on offer with the technology, including a system for supplying electric power to buildings and other facilities during emergencies.

Hino said that hydrogen fuelling of the bus is being carried out at Toyota Ecoful Town – part of Toyota City which uses next-gen, low carbon environmental technology on a daily basis – and revealed that the bus began servicing the Toyota Oiden bus route in Toyota City earlier this month.